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. WYATT & J. F. HOLMES.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

Patente 2 l I Q l I u/einiov's:

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in ii FFIgCE.

THOMAS VYATT AND JASON F. HOLMES, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 280,433, dated Ju1y 3, 1883.

Application filed February 19, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THoMAs WYATT and JASON F. HoLMns, both of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island,

posed of a series of links, a, each of which is a little longer than onehalf the distance between the rounds I), which are preferably composed of a piece of metal tubing, and an in- 5 have invented certain new and useful Improveterior wire-or rod, which at each end serves as ments in Fire-Escape Ladders; and we do hereby declare that the followmg specification, taken in connection with the drawmgs fur nished and forming a part of the same, is a end and screws employed as pivots.

a headed pivot for flexibly uniting the links (6 at alternate joints; but, instead of the interior rod, the tubular rounds maybe tapped at each The in- IO clear, true, and complete description of our tervening joints of the links (I are pivoted by invention.

Our said improvements relate to that class of jointed or folding fire-escape ladders which the shank of an eyebolt, c.

To afford a good foothold on the rounds when the ladder is in position against a wall are capableof ready transportationfrom point for use, wallbraces composed of links (I in to point within a building, or of being permanently located adjacent to upper windows;

pairs are pivoted to each other at one end, and at their other ends to the adjacent rounds b, or

and the objects of our invention are to provide to their pivot-screws, as the case may be; and for the safe descent by timid persons, for conas these wall-brace links are longer than the venient access to and from the fire-escape at side links, a, of the ladder, they form, when in various points thereon when set for use, and use, rigid triangular braces,which, adjacent to generally to render the same compact when not their outer pivots, bear against the wall, and in use, readily adjusted for service, and to pro thereby maintain the ladder at a proper disduce the same economically, having due refertance from the wall of a building to afford a ence to strength and durability. good foot-bearing upon all of the rounds.

ing our improvements, the features deemed been employed in folding ladders. novel will be specified in detail in the claims The safety-guards c are U-shaped, and exhereunto annexed. tend from either side bar forward across the Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side I front of the ladder and back to the other side view of one of our fire-escapes folded and bar, thus inclosing avertical spacein front of mounted on a truck as for use in the halls of theladder ample to receive aperson in making a hotel. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in adescent. Safety-guards have heretoforebeen its extended position, as for use from an upper employed on permanently mounted, and also window of a building, the latter being shown on flexibleorjointed, ladder fire-escapes; but

in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarger'l side and sectional view of several joints of said fire-escape, illustrating the construction thereof. Fig. 4 is a side view of another form of fireescape involving certain features of our invention.

It will be understood that our fire-escape ladder is kept in a folded condition when not in use, and, instead of being mounted upon a truck, as shown, it may be kept near a window, upon the floor of a hallway or room, or on a shelf provided therefor, and provided with a strong cross-bar longer than the width of the window, to serve as an anchor or stay for the upper end of the ladder, by passing said rod through suitable holes near the ends of the upper links, a, of the side bars, A, said upper links being long enough to properly overlie the window-sill. Each side bar, A, is comwe know of none prior to ourinvention which have been so organized with jointed ladders that when in position for use each guard is individually maintained in a horizontal position, instead of being supported at their outer ends, as heretofore, by means of a pendent cord or chain common to them all; and although we have illustrated two methods of constructing the same,we deem that shown in Fig. 1 to be the most desirable. Each safetyguard of the preferred form is pivoted at each of its ends to the apex-pivot f of a pair of the wall-braces d, and it freely occupies at its sides the adjacent eyebolts 0, so that these latter serve to maintain each safety-guard in a horizontal position when inuse, and they also serve to properly control said guards when After fully describing a fire-escape embody- \Vallbraces of various kinds have heretofore (No Model.) 7

B. P. ZAHM.

HANGING DEVICE FOR EXHIBITING GOODS.

No. 280,434. Patented July 3, 1883.

JWMW 1 1 N. PETERS. FholoLilhogmphev, Wzahinginn. D, C. 

